Cupcake challenge set

by Kristen M. White
The Pueblo West View

Published: October 9, 2013;Last modified: October 9, 2013 04:46PM

The Sangre de Cristo Hospice will hold a cupcake challenge Oct. 19 to determine which local bakery will serve treats at the annual Reflection Ceremony and Tree Lighting event, and a Pueblo West bakery will participate in the competition.

Bite Me Cake Company plans to enter the cupcake challenge. Owners Chantele Fanning and Jen Delatorre will vie for the title of best cupcake and the chance to serve hundreds of guests at Sangre de Cristo Hospice’s big holiday event.

Ellen Koury, Director of Marketing and Communications for the hospice, said every year there are something like cookies at the Reflections reception, and committee members thought this year it might be fun to have cupcakes.

In addition, planners for the event decided to have a competition to determine the best cupcake, and in doing so create more community involvement by getting local bakeries and restaurants participating. The idea was loosely inspired by the hit television show Cupcake Wars.

“We’re going to do the judging at the mall and have a few local celebrity judges to help,” Koury said. “Maybe we’ll have them decorate the cupcakes there in person or something fun. We’re figuring out logistics.”

Fanning said she and Delatorre are excited to share one of their best tasting cupcakes in the challenge, noting that Bite Me makes “really good tasting and moist cakes. We don’t like dry! Decoration is important, but mostly we want them to taste good.”

The winner of the competition will provide the cupcakes for the Reflections reception, which Koury expects to draw at least 400 people this season.

“Reflections is a community event,” Koury said. “People used to think it was just for hospice patients, but it’s for anyone who wants to honor a loved one. We do a name reading and light a candle. It’s a wonderful event.”